Convenient and Comprehensive: CPE at NYSSCPA.ORG

While it’s well known that every CPA in public practice must satisfy an annual continuing professional education (CPE) requirement to maintain his or her license, choosing the appropriate courses to take can be anyone’s guess, especially in light of such factors as time, cost, changes in state regulations for CPAs and professional trends. However, the Continuing Education section of the New York State Society of CPAs’ website at nysscpa.org makes it easy for members and other potential CPE registrants to enroll in classes that best fit their specific needs.

The Continuing Education portion of nysscpa.org features an interactive online course catalog that allows users to view an alphabetical, regional and/or field of study listing of events offered through the Foundation for Accounting Education (FAE) during each fiscal year. The online catalog also has an advanced search option, which enables users to look for courses that meet specific criteria, such as the number of CPE credits needed.

While the online course catalog includes all of the 800-plus seminars, conferences, technical sessions and online courses coordinated by FAE, individuals interested in attending the Society’s conferences or evening technical sessions need visit only the FAE Conferences and Evening Technical Sessions pages. Through the online course catalog, viewers will find links to all of the Society’s upcoming committee-sponsored events for the month, as well as a brief description of the conferences sponsored by the Society’s chapters. The FAE Conferences and Evening Technical Sessions pages provide links to upcoming sessions as well. Visitors may register for both types of courses through the links on their respective pages.

Considering the large number of events that FAE sponsors, not to mention the logistics of each conference, seminar or session that the FAE staff must coordinate, it is almost inevitable that on rare occasions, there will be changes in FAE’s course lineup. However, course enrollees can stay abreast of these changes by clicking on the “Recent Changes to the FAE 2001 Seminar Catalog” link. This way, members can ensure that the course they want to take is available before going through the online registration process.

The Continuing Education section also provides a link to the NYSSCPA/eMind.com accounting hub, where members and others in need of CPE who prefer the convenience of online self-study can check out the descriptions of online CPE courses offered by the Society in conjunction with eMind.com, a provider of business-oriented online learning opportunities. Those interested in earning CPE credits via the Internet may download a demo of any course offered and read about the developer(s) of the course(s) that they are considering. Registered users are assigned their own “tracker” accounts, which enable previously and currently enrolled students to keep a record of the courses they have completed and/or are currently taking.

Of course, cost, like scheduling, is an issue that members must consider when registering for CPE. The reinstatement of the popular Pay-One-Price (POP) Program that allows POP Pass holders to attend 10 conferences or seminars at a reduced rate, is an indication of the Society’s awareness of this key factor. Whenever visitors go to the Continuing Education section, they always have the option of signing up for the POP Pass. The POP Pass page features an “Administrative Guidelines” link describing all of the conditions for using a POP Pass, as well as a printout registration form that potential POP Pass users must fill out and mail back to the Society.

The “CPE Requirements” and “Changes Affecting N.Y. CPE Regulations” pages provide current and potential attendees of CPE classes with information and guidelines that affect the education of CPAs in public practice, and are released by selected states as well as by major federal agencies such as the General Accounting Office. The “Changes Affecting N.Y. CPE Regulations” page currently offers detailed information concerning amendments implemented by the New York State Board of Regents on Dec. 15, 2000, while the “CPE Requirements” page has links to information that affects practitioners specifically in Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey and New York. The page also provides links to requirements that pertain to practicing CPAs in general.

To visit the Continuing Education page, interested parties should go to the Society’s homepage at www.nysscpa.org and click on the lime-colored “Continuing Education” button underneath the blinking POP advertisement at the top of the homepage. w